Sickle Cell Disease and Vascular Inflammation
Sickle cell disease (SCD) causes chronic inflammation driven by hemolysis and extracellular heme, resulting in severe complications. Our lab revealed how inflammatory caspases—activated by heme—trigger pyroptosis and cytokine release, contributing to disease pathology and identifies caspase pathways as candidate intervention targets.
Our Discoveries
Our research delineates mechanistic links between hemolysis, heme-driven caspase activation, and inflammatory damage in sickle cell patients.
Heme activates caspase-4 and caspase-5 to induce pyroptosis
Free heme released during hemolysis activates inflammatory caspases-4 and -5, triggering pyroptotic cell death and IL-1β release that sustains inflammation.
Single-cell imaging reveals inflammasome recruitment and caspase dimerization
Distinct patterns of inflammatory caspase activation and signaling emerge during hemolysis-driven inflammation.
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